Reid refuses to hold floor vote on Obama tax proposal

posted at 12:41 pm on July 11, 2012 by Ed Morrissey

Last week, Barack Obama tried changing the subject from a bad jobs report and a sinking economy by shifting back to his class-warfare strategy. Insisting that the American people supported higher taxes on people earning more than $250,000 a year, he challenged Republicans in the House to pass a one-year extension on the other income-tax brackets while hiking taxes on the rest. It looks now like he should have challenged his own party in the Senate, which has balked at taking a vote on Obama’s tax hike:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Wednesday rejected a Republican request to vote on President Obama’s income tax plan amid defections within his caucus on tax policy.

Reid appeared exasperated by the Republican request to vote on extending the Bush-era tax rates when Democrats would prefer to focus this week on a small-business tax package estimated to create 1 million jobs. …

Reid was responding to a request by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to vote on Obama’s tax plan, which would extend the Bush tax rates for families earning less than $250,000, alongside a Republican proposal to extend the 2001 and 2003 tax rates for one year.

“The Senate should make itself clear which policy it supports. This is our chance to do it,” said McConnell.

An under-the-radar White House lobbying campaign began to take shape on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, as senior administration officials pressed Democrats to back Barack Obama’s latest tax plan and top political operatives detailed the president’s reelection strategy in battleground states.

In a private lunch meeting with Senate Democrats, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner pitched the president’s plan for a one-year extension of the Bush-era tax cuts for families earning less than $250,000, saying it would give certainty to the middle class and plug a hole in the gaping budget deficit. And Geithner tried to assuage concerns by telling Democrats that the president’s plan would ensure that all taxpayers would pay the lower tax rates on their first $250,000 of income — and they would be hit with higher tax rates only for earned income over that threshold, attendees said. …

At the same lunch, David Axelrod, a top campaign adviser, tried to sell Senate Democrats on the political virtues of the president’s tax plan, saying an overwhelming majority of voters in key states supported the Obama plan. He got support from Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) who read aloud poll numbers saying just that. …

The one-two lobbying punch from the Obama administration and the campaign marked a concerted effort to quell anxiety in the party over the president’s tactics to win reelection. The president was significantly outraised by Romney in recent months, faced an onslaught of spending from conservative outside groups and remained in a dead heat with the GOP candidate in crucial swing states.

Don’t forget that Democrats already told Obama that they don’t want the cutoff at $250K. Last fall, the Senate specifically rejected that proposal, and the House refused to even consider hiking taxes. Now Obama wants them to sign off on a tax hike — and only a one-year extension of current rates for everyone else — right before the election. Good luck with that.

It’s no surprise that Reid doesn’t want to bring this up for a vote, and it’s a smart play by McConnell to put Reid on the record about it.

Meanwhile, the distraction from the economy won’t last long, as more bad news rolled in today. Wholesale inventories rose in May despite a large drop in oil holdings, while sales fell more sharply than any time since March 2009:

Total wholesale inventories increased 0.3 percent to $484.1 billion, matching the median forecast in a Reuters poll of economists. …

At the same lunch, David Axelrod, a top campaign adviser, tried to sell Senate Democrats on the political virtues of the president’s tax plan, saying an overwhelming majority of voters in key states supported the Obama plan. He got support from Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) who read aloud poll numbers saying just that. …

Never underestimate the power of a lazy electorate and a Traitorous so called “mainstream media”.

Good on Mitt for telling the 99%ers (vote likely for Obama) that they are wrong, and ObamaCare is bad.

Reading the ABC News link to this story it sounded like Romney was just a bumbling idiot.

By MATT NEGRIN (@MattNegrin)
HOUSTON, July 11, 2012

Mitt Romney was booed in grand fashion at the NAACP today as he tried to explain how the nation’s first black president has failed the country and how he’d do better.

The first and loudest objection erupted as Romney told a two-thirds-full room that he would repeal President Obama’s signature health care law if he’s elected.

Romney told the country’s most visible black group that he would cut spending by cutting “nonessential programs,” and he said “that includes Obamacare.”

The boos rang out for several seconds and echoed in the large ballroom in Houston. Romney paused and tried to recover by citing a Chamber of Commerce study that said most people surveyed said the health law makes them less likely to hire people. He awkwardly continued to talk about Medicare and Social Security, and eventually earned minimal applause by talking about benefits for poor people.

But he was booed again as he derided Obama on energy, trade, the size of government, education and the economy. “The president will say he will do those things, but he will not, he cannot, and his record of the last four years proves it,” Romney said as the crowd jeered.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner pitched the president’s plan for a one-year extension of the Bush-era tax cuts for families earning less than $250,000, saying it would give certainty to the middle class and plug a hole in the gaping budget deficit.

At the same lunch, David Axelrod, a top campaign adviser, tried to sell Senate Democrats on the political virtues of the president’s tax plan, saying an overwhelming majority of voters in key states supported the Obama plan. He got support from Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) who read aloud poll numbers saying just that. …

Help me out here. Why isn’t BO doing this? Is he too imperial to meet with mere Senate members – of his own party? What gives? Yes, I know that he doesn’t like to interface with Congress, however, under the circumstance, i.e. he wants to be reelected, why send a PR guy?

The problem with Obama’s wasteful spending habits is that, as
Margaret Thatcher said, “Sooner or later you run out of other
people’s money”. I think the day of reckoning is here for our
socialist president.

I forgot Al Franken was in the Senate. What the heck is he doing over there?

HawaiiLwyr on July 11, 2012 at 12:51 PM

The democrats here in Minnesota always cheat, and it’s pretty obvious that with all the shenanigans that were pulled in that election, that’s how Franken “won.” He’s a disgrace to Minnesota, and a disgrace to the US Senate.

I always find it frustratingly amusing that when people consider “congress” and their dislike of them, as in approval ratings, they seem to discount the senate which is half the congress. (Not by numbers, by function). The HOUSE is the only repub majority, the SENATE, being the other half of the congress is what refuses to vote on legislation that could help the economy.

Everyone pissed at ‘congress’ should look at DINGY REID, democrat leader of the SENATE and his DEMOCRAT majority as the clog in the toilet bowl. The other turd blocking the pipes sits in the white house.

Obummer’s got Geithner, Axelrod, and Franken twisting democrat arms — if that’s not ripe for Three Stooges jokes, I don’t know what is!

KS Rex on July 11, 2012 at 1:19 PM

The best part is that they will do a better job than Biden or the TOTUS. Can’t you just imagine the looks on the faces of Senate Dems if they were to walk into the conference room and see the teleprompter?

Political junkies know they’re Dems – John and Jane Doe do NOT know they’re deems – we need to label them every single time.

While I’m at it, we need to include zeros – again, John and Jane Doe don’t understand the difference between million/billion/trillion – they all sound alike. 4.5trillion debt is read as 46 – good luck trying to drive home that.

Now, 4,600,000,000,000 looks a heck of a lot worse. The ink isn’t the problem – it’s the zeroes. Dems know this – that’s why they don’t use zeroes – we should.

In a private lunch meeting with Senate Democrats, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner pitched the president’s plan for a one-year extension of the Bush-era tax cuts for families earning less than $250,000, saying it would give certainty to the middle class and plug a hole in the gaping budget deficit about the size of a Skittle.

I’m convinced that Jesus himself could stand before the NAACP and give the same talk and would be booed. These same people would raise a stink to the high heavens is Obama was jeered and booed while giving a speech to a white group.

I saw Kirsten Powers on Hannity last night insisting that wealthy people should kick in to pay down the national debt.

So, fine. The GOP should consider saying that they’ll withhold opposition votes (so when the tax increase creates a clusterfark, they can say, “We told you so”) as long as the income tax attributable to the rate increases is sequestered and used to pay down the national debt. A Treasury IG would be required to verify the amount paid to the national debt. (Let’s see how much tax revenue this move generates.) Also, a Treasury IG, with the help of the IRS, would be required to submit a report evalutating what happened to the taxpayers in 2013 who’d have been subject to the rate increases in 2012 if they were in place in 2012. Oh, and let’s get a Treasury IG report on the direction of the capital-gains-tax revenue from 2012 to 2013.

What people need to do is get the Dems and Obama on record telling us how much revenue will be generated by doing what Obama wants….
Ask them point blank, “By raising taxes on those making over $250,000, how much revenue will come into the Treasury?”

We had the Head of the DNC here in Virginia asked that question on a local radio show, and he didn’t know the number…..
He just thought it good to raise taxes.

Not to Dems, the tax increase will bring in $100 Billion or less….
We are running over $1.5 Trillion deficits for the past 3 years…..
That tax increase will not do it.

BTW: to kill this tax in the public’s eyes, given that I’ve read that the revenue “estimated” to be generated from this rate increase–assuming the absurd static analysis–is equal only to the amount the federal government spends in 8 1/2 days, the GOP should be calling it “the eight-and-a-half day tax.”

They should say it and write it over and over and over and over again.

Make it ring in voters ears like Israel’s Six Day War or the movie 9 1/2 Weeks.

… these human beings are also responsible for saddling us with +$16 Trillion of Debt, +$100 Trillion of unfunded liabilities, Open Borders, ObowmaTax, a weakened Military, and a dark future of gloom for our children and grandchildren all for their political careers.

I’m sorry, I just don’t frackkin’ get it how one individual, the master obstructionist, Harry Reidiculous, Senator Refusal, can keep any vote he doesn’t want from happening. This is NOT what the Founding Fathers intended. Sen Reidiculous, blank or get off the pot! No wait, he’s been blankin’ on Americans since forever.

We need to sue Dingy Harry for the salaries of all Senators this session since he is preventing them from doing what they were sent there for.
If he won’t let them vote, he owes us their salaries back.

We’re going the wrong direction, and Obama’s running out of distractions.

Don’t worry. Considering that entire weeks of news coverage have been dominated by stories about Romney’s dog or his wife’s horseback riding, Obama’s Lefty friends in the US news media will provide endless distractions for him.

I saw Kirsten Powers on Hannity last night insisting that wealthy people should kick in to pay down the national debt.

So, fine. The GOP should consider saying that they’ll withhold opposition votes (so when the tax increase creates a clusterfark, they can say, “We told you so”) as long as the income tax attributable to the rate increases is sequestered and used to pay down the national debt. A Treasury IG would be required to verify the amount paid to the national debt. (Let’s see how much tax revenue this move generates.) Also, a Treasury IG, with the help of the IRS, would be required to submit a report evalutating what happened to the taxpayers in 2013 who’d have been subject to the rate increases in 2012 if they were in place in 2012. Oh, and let’s get a Treasury IG report on the direction of the capital-gains-tax revenue from 2012 to 2013.

BuckeyeSam on July 11, 2012 at 2:01 PM

Yet the topic was state taxes in Maryland I believe.

When Powers gets stumped she just starts babbling talking points. They all do.

…….But he was booed again as he derided Obama on energy, trade, the size of government, education and the economy. “The president will say he will do those things, but he will not, he cannot, and his record of the last four years proves it,” Romney said as the crowd jeered.

PappyD61 on July 11, 2012 at 12:49 PM

At least Romney told the NAACP the truth. BO, or B Clinton would have told them what they wanted to hear, even if they didn’t mean it.